clue
clue Lexical Profile
clue Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A piece of evidence or information used in the detection of a crime or the solving of a mystery or puzzle.
"The archaeologist discovered a vital clue that helped decipher the ancient inscription."
The slightest idea or understanding about how to do or comprehend something (chiefly used in negative contexts).
"When the software crashed unexpectedly, the technician did not have a clue what caused the error."
• verb
To provide someone with helpful information or bring them up to date about a particular situation (usually followed by 'in' or 'up').
"Our project manager clued us in on the upcoming schedule changes before the general meeting."
• Rhymes for clue
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
A late 16th-century spelling variant of 'clew', from Old English 'cliwen', meaning a ball of thread or yarn. The modern figurative sense of a guiding hint arose from the Greek myth of Theseus using a ball of thread given by Ariadne to find his way out of the Minotaur's Labyrinth.